Popcorn Bhel is one of the innovative lip-smacking snacks of India. This recently developed chaat is delicious, full of flavours, and less fussy.


Popcorn has always been the go-to snack for silencing our hunger pangs or just to munch on something. It is easy and quick to make. I used to eat it plain.

The first time I ever added anything to popcorn was when I watched a movie. So naturally, I bought popcorn for snacks, but there were several options besides the counter, like onions, jalapenos, olives, cheese sauce, ketchup, and whatnot. It was tasty but a little messy, though.

That is not the case here. There is no addition of chutneys and sauces in this bhel. Hence, we need not worry about getting this messy.

Why Should You Try Popcorn Bhel?

  • It is a quick recipe and extremely easy to make.
  • You can easily add this to your evening snacks menu.
  • A perfect low-fat snack to fill your stomach.
  • Good choice for everyone but kids especially.
  • You can make it in a short period.
  • A great recipe for beginners.
  • Not spicy, instead chatpati.
  • No fancy ingredients are needed.

Things You’ll Need

Popcorn Bhel is a versatile recipe. You can add whatever you like to this bhel as per your taste. Just cooking the corn kernels needs your attention. Either you do it in a pan or use a pressure cooker. Remember to remove the whistle from the pressure cooker’s lid. You need to adjust the flame and have patience for them to pop. Being careless with the flame can result in burned popcorn.

Once you’ve completed this task successfully, then you can relax. If you are not confident, then you can get the ready-made popcorn. After that, add whatever you’ll see fit. Chopped onions and tomatoes are common to add. There are multiple ingredients, like spring onions, corn, carrots, raw mango, pomegranate, olives, jalapenos, etc.

And as mentioned above, you can even add ketchup, chutneys, or different sauces as per your liking. But that is not very recommended. Adding sauces will make the popcorn soft and soggy.

If you need more crunch, you can add roasted peanuts, sauteed rice flakes, and puffed rice. Roasted Bengal gram will also be a great addition. Or you can get more innovative and add products like Kurkure and lays.

Chaat masala and lemon juice will provide the tang. Or you can add amchur powder too. Adding Kashmiri red chilli powder will make this more colourful without spicy. However, if you want to make this spicy, add regular red chilli powder or chopped green chillies. Otherwise, you can add red or green chutney as well.

Tips:

  • Garnishing – Mint leaves, coriander, and Sev will be suitable for garnishing. Aloo Sev will be better to use for flavours and texture.
  • Flavours – Any popcorn flavour available in the market will be okay to use. But salted ones are preferable.
  • Serving – If you use sauces or chutneys in the bhel, it will be better to add them before serving.

Other chaat recipes: